Inclusive Emergency Management ADA and Emergency Management in North Carolina

Hurricane Katrina (2005)

American with Disabilities Act 1990 Title II: Public Entities (State & Local Governments) State and local governments must provide program access to people with disabilities

American with Disabilities Act 1990 Title III: Public Accommodations (Private Businesses) Places of public accommodation must remove architectural barriers

American with Disabilities Act 1990 Title IV: Telecommunications Communications with people with disabilities are equally as effective as communications with others

“But we don’t have the time or money…”

Los Angeles Lawsuit (2009) Communities Actively Living Independent and Free (CALIF), et al. City of Los Angeles

Los Angeles Court Ruling (2011)

New York City Lawsuit (2011) Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York, et al. v. Michael R. Bloomberg and The City of New York

New York City Ruling (2013)

What does that mean to you?

North Carolina will include people with access and functional needs in all aspects of the emergency management system: Planning Prevention/Preparedness Response Recovery Mitigation

Let’s do this!

Service Animals vs. Companion Animals Dogs Miniature horses All other animals are companion animals

Can only ask two questions: Service Animals Can only ask two questions: Is this service animal required because of a disability? What work or tasks has the animal been trained to perform?

Access and Functional Needs People with Access and Functional Needs People with Disabilities

Access and Functional Needs Communications Maintaining Health Independence Services and Support Transportation

Preparedness Alert and warning Personal preparedness Non-profit agency preparedness DME agreements Interpreter agreements PAS agreements

Planning Inclusive language in all plans Planning considerations for people with access and functional needs (sheltering, transportation/evacuation, communication) Representatives from disability communities on planning committees

Training and Exercise Trainings with and for people with access and functional needs Members of training and exercise planning committee(s) Use of people with AFN in exercises (rather than actors portraying them)

Response Ask for the resources needed – the earlier, the better DME, CMS FAST teams Early evacuations as needed, including accessible transportation Accessible services for sheltering

Recovery Government assistance is fully accessible (e.g. FEMA trailers) Recovery centers are ADA compliant Inclusion of AFN on Long Term Recovery Task Forces

Mitigation Inclusion in mitigation planning Use of universal design in mitigation measures, if applicable

Sheltering ADA accessible facility (or capability to make it accessible for duration of shelter being open) Allowance of service animals Accessible/assistive supplies Communication access

Sheltering Properly trained shelter workers/volunteers Continued evaluation of needs for resources by people with access and functional needs (Use of FAST teams) Demobilization planning for shelter guests (are their homes still accessible?)

Communications Redundant methods of communications before, during and after disasters ASL interpreters included in press conferences Multi-language alerts and warnings, as well as video relay alerts Simple language for ease of comprehension High contrast visuals (e.g. yellow or white text on black or blue backgrounds)

Contact Sheri Badger Disability Integration Specialist Human Services Branch North Carolina Emergency Management Sheri.badger@ncdps.gov 919-825-2568 desk 919-675-3278 cell